WORK & RELAX 81Fotos: Frederick Charles; The Modern House; The Bird in Hand; Netflix
6/2019 Business SpotlightTV
Fans of The Of f ice will
remember Rick y Ger vais
as David Brent, possibly the
world ’s worst manager. Ger-
vais, who was also co-creator
of that popular sitcom, has
written a new series for
Netf lix. In After Life, Ger vais
plays Tony, a local journalist
whose wife dies of cancer.
Tony does not want to live
without her, but his attempt
at suicide is foiled and he
decides instead to live onFOOD & DRINK
Brook Green is a pleasant neighbourhood in west London, popular with
writers and f ilm-makers. Locals recommend The Bird in Hand, at 88
Masbro Road, for informal family meals as well as business lunches.
The restaurant, which specializes in pizzas and tapas, describes its wine
list as “eclectic and creative”. It has a no-reser vations policy for evenings
and weekends, but accepts bookings for weekday lunches. Bar snacks
are available all day. https://thebirdinhandlondon.comBOOK
Heather B. Armstrong (see Business Spotlight 2/2012) became known
as the “Queen of the Mommy Bloggers” thanks to her irreverently
funny and frank writing about her family life. Among other subjects,
Armstrong’s own problems with depression have often featured in
her blog. In her latest book, The Valedictorian of Being Dead, Armstrong
writes about why she chose to take part in an experimental treatment
that placed her in a drug-induced coma. Armstrong participated in
the trial, which was for patients with treatment-resistant depression,
because she was afraid her ex-husband might take custody of their two
daughters. This is an eye-opening description of what clinical depres-
sion feels like and would make useful reading for family and friends of
anyone suffering from depression. It is also enriched by Armstrong’s
earthy humour. Galler y Books.Honest
writing:
ArmstrongPopular: The
Bird in HandFunny and sad: Ricky
Gervais and frienddrug-induced
[)drʌɡ ɪnˈdjuːst]
, medikamentös
herbeigeführt
earthy [ˈɜːθi] , hier: derb
eye-opening
[ˈaɪ )əʊpənɪŋ]
, aufschlussreich
frank [fræŋk] , offen
irreverently [ɪˈrev&rəntli]
, hier: grenzenlos
find one’s feet
[)faɪnd wʌnz (fiːt]
, hier: sich voll entfalten
foiled: be ~ [fɔI&ld]
, vereitelt werden
on one’s own terms
[)ɒn wʌnz )əʊn (tɜːmz]
, hier: nach eigenen
Vorstellungen
policy [ˈpɒləsi]
, hier: Vorgehen
season [ˈsiːz&n]
, Staffel
sitcom [ˈsɪtkɒm] ifml.
, Situationskomödie
stuff (of) [(stʌf (Qv)]
, hier: Stoff (für)eclectic [ɪˈklektɪk]
, vielseitig
neighbourhood
[ˈneɪbəhʊd]
, hier: Viertelpizza [ˈpiːtsə]
, [wg. Aussprache]
policy [ˈpɒləsi]
, hier: Grundsatz, Regelhis own terms. That means
doing ever ything he wants
to do and telling ever yone
exactly what he thinks, a pol-
icy that nearly costs him his
few remaining friends. Not
exactly the stuff of comedy?
Following an unconvincing
f irst episode, Ger vais and his
actor colleagues f ind their
feet and After Life comes to a
satisf ying end after six epi-
sodes. Strangely, however, a
second season is planned...take custody of sb.
[)teɪk ˈkʌstədi Qv]
, das Sorgerecht für
jmdn. übernehmen
trial [ˈtraɪəl]
, Versuch
valedictorian
[ˌvælIdɪkˈtɔːriən] US
, Abschiedsredner(in)
(bei der Schulabschluss-
feier); hier: beste(r)
Absolvent(in)